Line testing and protection apparatus



} w 1592 920 -R. BRlNCKERHOFF LINE TESTING AND PROTECTION APPARAT US Filed Dec 14, 1923 Patented Jniy 2t), 192

RALPH M. BRINGKERHOFF, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORETIA.

LINE TESTING AND PROTECTION APPARATUS.

Application filed December 14, 1923. Serial- No. 680,629.

My invention relates primarily to a test ing and protection apparatus for telephone and telegraph lines and willbe described as so applied, but I do not limit myself Ii to that use. The apparatus is installed in a 1 insulating disc.

wise secured to the terminal bars.

cable box designed for said equipment in which all jumper wires enter from the back {:jhereby eliminating bunched Wires in the In the drawings Fig. 1 is a top plan. partly diagrammatic of my device detached from the cable box. Fig. 2 is an end view of the parts shown in Fig. 1, and a portion of a box. Fig. 3 is a plan enlarged, of an Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of one of the ends of a connector. 7

Referring to the drawings, 10 is the base member which is secured in the cable box 12 by ground bars 11, and is of any required length. At each side of the base and pass ing therethrough are holes 13 and 14: for guiding the line Wires 15 and the cable wires 16. Secured to the base 10 are terminal members 17 and 18, in which the line terminals 19 and cable terminals 20 are mounted. There is a terminal bar for each line wire, and a terminal bar for each cable wire, and the wires after being passed through the holes in the base are soldered or otl i eip e terminal bars on the .line side are all alike. The terminal bars on the cable side are alike. As shown in the drawings, the line and cable terminal bars have their inner ends opposed to each other, and their outer ends have the wire secured thereto. In the opposed ends of these bars are holes 21 and 22, in which are received the tapered metal ends of the connectors. These connectors are composed of a tubular body 23 of insulating material, preferably rubbertubing, in the ends of which are forcedmetal pins 2 1, thereby expanding the ends as best shown in Fig. i. The outer ends of these pins. are preferably tapered and an enlarged central portion 25 prevents the pin from passing too far into the body 23.

A fuse wire 26 passes through the body and is held in contact with the pin by the resiliency of the body. The fuse wire can be soldered to the pin if desired. A metal bar 27 is secured to the base 10 by screw bolts 28, there being one at each end. These bolts are connected by bar 29 to bolts 30 which bolts attach base 10 to bars 11. Bars 11 are c n ct d by Wire 9 to g und 8.. n

each side of bar 27 is a groove 31, so that the bar may be used with either side uppermost. Nuts 32 and 33 on one side and nut 34 on the other side of bar 27 are used to hold the bar at the required height. To the terminal bars 20 are secured the copper springs 35 by screws 36. The upper ends of these springs are bifurcated and straddle the necks of arrester blocks 37 In the ends of blocks 37 opposite the necks thereof are pins 38 of insulating material, which when the parts are assembled for use, project through the center of a member 39 of insulating material illustrated as a disc, and

Operation.

hen trouble develops on a telephone line, it is a process of considerable work and time to locate it with the appliances in common use. With my improved device, the operator goes to the cable box and re moves one end of a connector from each terminal of a circuit of the cable, or of the line. He then tests in the usual manner.

Should an excessive charge of current be received on the cable, a portion of same would pass to ground 8 through spring 35. block 37, bar 27, bolt 28, bar 29, bolt 30 and wire 9, thereby blowing fuse 26 and preventing injury to the line apparatus. making the cable box wider there may be mounted therein a number of these protection and testing apparatus. In such case each device would be connected to bars 11 and at each end thereof and one ground would answer for all.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A line testing and protection apparatus comprising a base; line and cable terminal bars, mounted on said base, said bars having their ends pierced, and connectors engaging the pierced ends of said bars, said connectors comprising metal pins adapted to enter the pierced ends of the bars and flexible body of insulating material into the ends of which said pins are received, and a fuse wire connected to said pins and extending through said body; and means to ground the cable terminals when an excessive charge of electricity is received, whereby the fuse is blown.

2, A line testing apparatus comprising a base, line and cable terminal bars mounted on said base, said bars having their ends pierced, connectors removably connected to said bars, said connectors being composed of tapered metal ends connected by a resilient insulating tube and a fuse wire extending through said tube and engaging said metal ends.

8. In a line protection and testing apparatus, a line terminal; a cable terminal; a ground; a connection from the cable ter' minal to the ground, said connection having an insulating member comprising a part thereof, said member being of greater resistance than the fuse Wire, and normally holding said connection open; and a connector from the cable terminal to the line terminal, said connector comprising a resilient insulating tube, tapered metal ends in said tube and a fuse Wire extending through said tube and engaging said metal ends.

In Witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 17th day of December, 1923.

RALPH M. BRINOKERHOFF. 

